My 49th Year

A daily chronicle of the last year of my 40s. Observations, experiences, photos, songs, and what-nots. Whatever I come across from now until August 17, 2012. Part cathartic, part a memory tool since mine has gone to hell.

[lianamaris]

[laughingsquid]

Things That Cannot Screen For Breast Cancer

[my49thyear-blog]

Void of A Legend - Antoniette Costa and Kevin Olusola Lyrics

Here I am emailing my Dad about this "live" probiotic that will help to keep him regular, and the dude comes back with, "That's nice honey. So, check out this cool beat-boxing cellist I found."

It's times like this that I am reminded not only how much I love my pops, how he never lost his "cool" factor, and that no matter how many years go by, we will always retain that eager, curious, passionate part of ourselves that is truly timeless. 

And this song is pretty kick ass as well.

[marysoul-blog]

Beautiful Sonoma Vineyard Residence by Aidlin Darling

[my49thyear-blog]

something for the vision board...

[sosuperawesome]

Kawano

[uweillustration-blog]

Kate Baylay

[my49thyear-blog]

Simply gorgeous. 

[my49thyear-blog]

Axe Body Spray has a new a new product for women. I'm guessing it's mace.

- Stephen Colbert

[my49thyear-blog]

I read in a recent interview with Fred and Carrie from Portlandia stating that the sketches they create for their show are based mostly on their own stories, so in a sense, they're making fun of themselves as much as anyone else. While that may be true, this show has become very popular because it resonates with the way many of us are and the way we live (and work).

This one is me. I've got too many things going on at once it's not always a good thing. Thankfully it hasn't gotten to the point of my eyes getting stuck in the back of my head, but I've come close. And this sketch in itself is a hilarious escape from my computer, and my iPad, and my cell phone, and my Netflix queue, and even Tumblr (which has collected a bit of dust, I must say, over the past month or so).

Getting out of town and away from all electronic devices (even turning off my phone) was an amazing way to recharge. And in December I was able to do that for a mere 10 days, but it was wonderful. I encourage you to do the same.

[gordonc-blog]

to steal from someone and not feel bad, you either have to be a sociopath or view the act differently. One way is to remove “Someone” from the equation. You’re not stealing from a person. Big companies do a lot to help people view them as less than human. I heard a speach by Noam Chomsky who said that corporations are like super humans. They cannot be hurt like a human can and they never die. They are not succeptible to scrutiny or accountability. this makes them more profitable. If companies want to enjoy these benifits to some degree they have to live with what else comes with being not human. you miss out on compassion, forgiveness, comraderie, empathy, trust all kinds of shit.

louis C.K. (via conceptalbum) 

[missfolly]

Robert Doisneau: Savignac aux échecs, 1950 

[vanillish-deactivated20211102]

[iamretrokid]

exactly.

[flyonadog]

This is fucking fantastic and I am massively and uncontrollably in love with the truth of this photoset.

[my49thyear-blog]

Ditto...that's gonna leave a mark, and then some.

[my49thyear-blog]

"Barney Frank, all he did was run a gay prostitution ring out of his House office," Dick Morris, former Clinton advisor said in regards to his low opinion of Mr Frank. A hilariously ridiculous accusation, but really? Clinton hired this fat bag of air?

Ah but Mr. Stewart aptly replied with, "I thought you guys loved Job Creators." 

Love ya Jon. 

[newyorker]

Cartoon of the day.

[my49thyear-blog]

A Serving of Gratitude May Save the Day

I've definitely focused more on the attitude of gratitude over the years, but it's something that I find to be easily lost in the day-to-day grind of meaningless tasks and aggravations, like, being immediately annoyed by the Target commercial featuring a nutbag of a women doing physical training exercises in preparation for Black Friday. Honestly, if I ever do shop at Target again and were to come across someone like her, I would run her over with my big, red cart.

See? Easily distracted.

In the way that the holidays remind us that we can find joy and be nice to people on a daily basis, and not just one day a year, the same goes for Thanksgiving.

This NYTimes article on gratitude combines logic with research, although I do need to personally disagree with the statement that "thinking about religion can cause people to feel and act more gratefully," since thinking about religion only makes me grateful that since I turned 14 I was finally done with it all and didn't have to go to church anymore. 

"The most psychologically correct holiday of the year is upon us.

Thanksgiving may be the holiday from hell for nutritionists, and it produces plenty of war stories for psychiatrists dealing with drunken family meltdowns. But it has recently become the favorite feast of psychologists studying the consequences of giving thanks. Cultivating an “attitude of gratitude” has been linked to better health, sounder sleep, less anxiety and depression, higher long-term satisfaction with life and kinder behavior toward others, including romantic partners. A new study shows that feeling grateful makes people less likely to turn aggressive when provoked, which helps explain why so many brothers-in-law survive Thanksgiving without serious injury.

But what if you’re not the grateful sort? I sought guidance from the psychologists who have made gratitude a hot research topic. Here’s their advice for getting into the holiday spirit — or at least getting through dinner Thursday:"

Read more

[my49thyear-blog]

Hammer Pants Vs. Hipsters

One of my favorite comic websites, The Oatmeal, does it again. Hilarious.

[lesstalkmoreillustration]

Mathis Rekowski

[mothernaturenetwork]

Target given 190,000 Black Friday protest signatures The petitions were the result of an effort by an employee who said the store’s decision to advance its opening time interfered with family gatherings.

[23feathers]